‘Dave, Shelly and Chainsaw’ fans rally, lament loss

About 50 protest radio trio’s removal

Kelly McGrath of North Park sat on the curb across the street from the Clear Channel studios during a rally by fans who want the “Dave, Shelly and Chainsaw” morning show returned to the airways.
— Howard Lipin / Union-Tribune

Kelly McGrath of North Park sat on the curb across the street from the Clear Channel studios during a rally by fans who want the “Dave, Shelly and Chainsaw” morning show returned to the airways.
— Howard Lipin / Union-Tribune

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Boisterous fans of “Dave, Shelly and Chainsaw” chanted, held signs and consoled each other yesterday over the recent demise of the popular morning radio show on KGB/FM-101.5

About 50 people gathered on the sidewalk across the street from Clear Channel Communications, the media giant that owns classic-rock station KGB/FM-101.5, which ended the show last week a few months shy of its 20th anniversary.

“It’s like a death in the family,” said Leanne Preihs, 51, of Santee, a stay-at-home mom who said she was devastated when the plug was pulled on a show that she had listened to since its inception.

Dave Rickards, Shelly Dunn and Cookie “Chainsaw” Randolph were let go after they could not come to a contractual agreement with the station. A Clear Channel spokeswoman said yesterday that the company had nothing new to add to its original statement, which was that the trio had been given “a very lucrative offer.”

Preihs recalled calling Rickards when she got into an accident in her brand-new Chevrolet Trailblazer, asking him to break the news to her husband to soften the blow. Rickards did that and more. The show paid for the couple to go have a steak dinner.

Another fan at yesterday’s protest recalled a similar kindness.

Last July, the program gave listener Kelly McGrath $1,000 so her 17-year-old son could attend the Junior Olympics in Omaha, Neb. McGrath, 45, said the family had saved money for the trip, but she needed emergency surgery and it had to be used for that instead.

On top of the warm hearts, McGrath said, “If you are having a bad day, they just make you laugh.”

The diverse group yesterday included first-grader Madison Sinford, who came with her mother, Susan Sinford, and 8-year-old brother, Jacob.

Susan Sinford said she and her children listened to the show every morning when she took them to school. Jacob, who is in second grade, loudly proclaimed he was a huge fan, while Madison said that she was fond of Chainsaw’s “silly words.”

A fan for 13 years, Lindquist said he was shocked when he awoke Jan. 4 and heard the announcement that the show was no longer on the air. He thought at first it might be a stunt.

“Dave, Shelly and Chainsaw” is the third big-name, morning-drive show to leave the local airwaves in the past four months. The radio industry is struggling with declining advertising revenue and competition from the Internet, iPods, and satellite radio.

In August, also due to a contract impasse, Clear Channel canceled the “The Jeff & Jer Morning Show” on Star 94.1-FM. Last month, Mikey Esparza left “The Mikey Show” on rock 105.3 FM when contract negotiations broke down. Esparza has since found a new home on alternative rock station FM-94.9.

Rickards, who could not be reached for comment yesterday, earlier said that he was heartbroken that the show was canceled, a sentiment shared by the show’s fans.

“We want them to know we are standing behind them and we want them back,” McGrath said. “The hardest part is that we didn’t get to say goodbye.”

Preihs added: “I turned the radio off and haven’t turned it back on since.”